


Alone on Chuseok?

by StarlingHawke (Bowm8935)



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Masturbation, listen I had to ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-05 04:30:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12787011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bowm8935/pseuds/StarlingHawke
Summary: An ad on Greglist catches Yoosung’s attention, and suddenly he has a ‘date’ to Chuseok.





	1. The Ad

**Author's Note:**

> Chuseok actually took place in September but since it’s a Korean version of thanksgiving (which is this week), I’m writing this now! Hope you enjoy ^^

_**Alone on Chuseok? Mad at your family?** _

_I’m a 22-year-old with a couple of different college degrees and I run a robotic toy shop with my amazing twin brother. I can play a wide range in ages (very talented with makeup) and genders, depending on what you’re looking for. High school dropout? Got it. Sexy maid? I’m your guy. Annoying prankster who doesn’t know when to quit? Lolol, you’re looking at him! If you’d like to have me as your strictly platonic date for Chuseok but have me pretend to be in a long or serious relationship with you to torment your family, I’m game! >:3c_

_I can do these things at your request:_  
_-Openly hit on other guests (I can be smooth or awkward) while you act like you don’t notice_  
_-Start instigating discussions about politics, morality and/or religion_  
_-Propose to you in front of everyone_  
_-Pretend to become progressively drunker as the evening goes on (I don’t actually drink for personal reasons, but I can but on a good show)_  
_-Start an actual, physical fight with a family member, either inside or on the front lawn for all the neighbors to see_  
_-Start a verbal argument and completely crush my opponent_

_How much does such an amazing service cost, you ask? Why, nothing but the free meal! I can stay for however long you want, whether it’s one hour, one day or the entire time~!_

 

Yoosung stares at the ad, brows furrowed and lips pursed in thought. Is he actually considering doing this? Contacting a stranger and inviting him along to Chuseok solely to get his parents to _back off?_ The wording makes it seem more geared toward individuals looking to get back at their family but that’s not something he’s interested in; no, he just wants to show up with a date so there’s no awkward probing of his social life, no not-so-subtle remarks that maybe he’s not actually gay but just going through a phase. Maybe he’s just looking for love in the wrong places.

They don’t realize how much those statements, however veiled, hurt.

It’s not that they’re unsupportive, necessarily. They’ve done so much for Yoosung since he came out, it’s just, well… they want what’s best for him. And they’re traditional enough to think that means marriage, kids and a nice house with a respectable job.

What they don’t seem to understand is that he can have all that with another man.

Mind made up, he clicks the _Contact_ link and shoots off a text to the number listed. The response comes almost immediately.

Yoosung [10:56]: _Hey I was curious if ur still free for Chuseok?_  
Date??? [10:56]: _**gasp a customer**_  
Date??? [10:57] _lololol ya I’m still free, u want me?_

Fingers frozen over the keys of his flip phone, Yoosung frowns. Does he really want to commit to this? This is… this is lying. To his family. But can he really take 3 days straight of inquiries, hidden messages and offers to set up blind dates again?

Yoosung [11:00]: _Yes, I want you_  
Date??? [11:01]: _> \\\\\\\< so direct~_  
Date??? [11:01] _then u shall have me!_  
Date??? [11:01] _what would u like of me, my faux lover~?_

Yoosung groans, a hand dragging down his quickly reddening face. How did he not see that one coming?

Yoosung [11:03]: _I diudn’t meann it lieke taht!!!!!_  
Yoosung [11:03]: _I just want you to come with me, as… as whatever you want, I guess._  
Yoosung [11:04]: _Nothing too strange, though._  
Date??? [11:04]: _lolol okay, gotcha, Mr/Ms…?_  
Yoosung [11:05]: _Yoosung! I’m Yoosung Kim, sorry, hehe…_  
Date??? [11:05]: _Nice to meet you, Yoosung Kim._  
Date??? [11:06]: _For now, just call me 707. Or Seven. Whatever u like better lolol_  
Date??? [11:06]: _I have a customer, so I’ll call u later to talk about when/where we’re going. Sound okay?_  
Yoosung [11:07]: _Yeah!!! Thanks ^^_

And that’s that. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Yoosung slumps back in his chair and runs a hand through his hair. Finally, he has a date to bring home. Even if it’s not real, it’s a _date_ and hopefully someone who can hang out with him when his family is busy. This guy must be pretty good at acting to offer such a wide variety of options, so that means he can fake a friendship too, right?

It’ll be nice having a friend outside of school, even if it’s only for a few days.

Time to call his mom and settle all the details so he’s prepared for when Seven calls back later. Usually he goes up the afternoon before and helps set up any final preparations - hopefully that will still work. Or maybe Seven will just have to show up later.

The phone rings a few times before the cheery voice of his mother answers and he can’t stop the smile that spreads across his face. “Hi, mom! Just wanted to let you know I’m bringing someone with to Chuseok this year…”


	2. The Day Before: Afternoon

The pacing of his feet is nothing but white noise to Yoosung as he makes yet another pivot at the end of the room, hands shoved in his pockets and shoulders hunched in nervousness. It’s not the first time the thought that he could potentially be inviting someone insidious to a family event has poked through into his consciousness and it’s not the first time his blood has run cold because of it. What if this man is simply looking for another victim? Maybe he’ll show up, strangle Yoosung and then just leave, no one ever the wiser? There’s plenty of horror stories out there about Gregslist, after all, tales that he perhaps should’ve considered before sending out his address.

They’d agreed to go together, the two hour car ride the ideal time to nail all of their plans together ( _or his coffin,_ Yoosung’s mind helpfully inserts). Seven had simply said he’s arriving with enough time for Yoosung to approve his choice of character as well as time to change if not, the rest of the details such as personality, what’s expected of him, etc to be discussed on the way.

Normally Yoosung catches a train but because of the _delicacy_ of the situation, Seven insisted he drive. Yoosung was welcome to join or not; showing up separately is something Seven assured him happens and depending on the mood they’re going for, can help.

Yoosung had been excited at the time and happily agreed to a ride in this man’s ‘babe car’ without a second though. Now, however… he is wary and wishing he’d been more cautious.

Would it be rude to back out of this entirely? Maybe just call him and say he’s sick and not going after all? But what if he turned down others for Yoosung… That would make him the world’s biggest asshat.

Yoosung’s never had any true interest in being an asshat at all, let alone the largest in the world. So, sticking to the plan it is.

A sudden knock on his door causes him to trip over his feet, sending him sprawling to the floor, head smacking the wood much harder than his pride will allow him to acknowledge. “Ow,” he groans, pushing himself back up to his feet and padding over to the door while gingerly rubbing the growing bump on his forehead. The metallic sound of the lock opening signals his last chance at backing out of this. Deep breath. Then he swings open the door, his friendly smile faltering as he processes who’s standing on his doorstep.

A very pretty redhead beams at him, her golden eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun. “Hi!” Her voice a musical alto, he finds himself somehow entranced by her presence, by the way the light makes a soft halo appear above her fiery locks. She holds out one perfectly manicured hand, grin growing wider when he hesitantly grasps it. “You must be Yoosung! You’re a lot cuter than I imagined you’d be.” With a wink, she firmly shakes his hand before clasping her own behind her back, giving him a very good view of the pastel green dress she’s sporting.

This woman is probably one of the most attractive females he’s ever seen. The air of mystery and mischievousness surrounding her only makes her allure greater, but…

“Uh. Se-Seven?” Yoosung asks uncertainly, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. It _has_ to be him, right…?

A soft hum is his response. “Yep! But please, call me Mary,” she… he? continues, batting her eyelashes cloyingly at him. “May I come in?”

“O-Oh! Right, yeah, sorry.” Quickly moving out of the way, Yoosung’s eyes are drawn to the fluid movements of the material around her pale, creamy legs. Confusion rolls throughout him; he can appreciate the attractiveness of the opposite sex, but he’s determined by now that he’s very much gay. So how is he to take this heat building up in his chest? Since it’s just cross dressing, does it change anything? Or does this mean there’s facets to his sexuality he has yet to explore…

The clicking of her nude heels stop when she turns to face him as he closes the door, arms spread out to the side. “Well? What do you think? She’s amazing, right? Beautiful, right? Downright best girlfriend ever, right?” A spin follows as if to punctuate her claims, the skirt flaring out and allowing Yoosung to view just enough of those thighs to pull a strangled noise out of him. A look of triumph passes over her pretty face.

Forcing a cough, Yoosung pats his chest. “Oh, yeah, um. You’re very b-beautiful but…” A pause as he swallows, shrinking a little under the hurt already beginning to blossom in her eyes, “but I’m. I’m, uh, gay?”

Plucked eyebrows shoot up before a crooked smile begins to appear. “Oh~? You don’t sound so sure of that, cutie.”

“Wh-what!?” Nearly choking on air, Yoosung’s hands fly up to hide his quickly flushing face. “N-no, I am! I-I just, y-you’re, um…”

The chuckle he hears is amused and… kind? “I’m just kidding. So you’re saying Mary is a no-go and you want someone with beef, right?”

Peeking out through slit fingers, Yoosung watches as Seven taps a nail against his chin in thought. “Hmm. What kind of men do you like? Or, rather, what kind of man do you want your parents to meet?”

“Just be yourself?” Slowly lowering his hands, Yoosung catches the look of surprise that overtakes Mary…. er, Seven’s features.

“Myself…?” Furrowing his eyebrows, practiced hands shoot up and start to work out bobby pins from the wig Seven is wearing. Yoosung’s eyes follow the movements until Seven speaks again, his voice much lower, probably in his natural timbre now. “Yoosung, you know this isn’t a real date, right? I’m not actually your boyfriend…”

“Nono no, I know that!” Raising his hands quickly in surrender, Yoosung gives Seven a sheepish smile. “But I… I’m not doing this to make my family mad or anything. I’m just tired of being asked about when I’ll find someone…” Shoulders slumping, he brings a hand up to scratch the base of his skull awkwardly. “So I guess… I don’t really need a character? Just a body. I… I understand if you don’t want to do it, or if you want to be someone specifically. It’s up to you. I can still catch the next train if you’d rather go back home…” Letting out a soft sigh, Yoosung bows his head, defeated. Well, it could be worse. He could be dead in a ditch somewhere by now.

For a few moments, the only sound in the room is the shuffling of fabric and Yoosung’s breathing as he tries to control his emotions. A hand landing on his shoulder startles him and he snaps his head up to find Seven has moved closer, unruly, curly red hair revealed in the absence of the wig, eyes softer than earlier. “I won’t leave you to the intense inquisition of the Spaniards,” he jokes, pulling a quiet snort out of Yoosung. “I just wanted to make sure you understood our arrangement. I’ll be the computer nerd prankster then. He’s the easiest to play, anyway.” Stepping back, Seven drops his hand and tilts his head toward the door. “Just let me grab my stuff and I’ll change.”

Nodding, Yoosung watches as he strides out the door barefoot, eyes swinging back to the wig carefully hanging on the side of a chair. Three steps and then he’s curiously running some of the strands between his fingers, amazed at how real it feels. This guy takes his acting pretty seriously, huh. What else does he do? He’d mentioned in the ad that he ran a toy shop… was he maybe a performer in his spare time?

“Like it? That was my first ever wig.” Yoosung quickly withdraws his hands when Seven’s voice sounds next to him, jumping in surprise. It earns him another laugh, and he can’t help but notice the similarities between how he sounds naturally versus how he sounds as Mary. While he’s somehow managed to catch the inherent lilts and tones associated with femininity, his voice is still melodic. And that laugh sounds like it could be straight out of a movie with how perfect it is.

Scooping it up into his hands, Seven looks down at the wig fondly, brushing out a few tangles before folding it carefully to slip into a plastic bag. “Such beautiful hair.”

“I like yours better,” Yoosung blurts out before he thinks, clapping a hand over his mouth when he sees Seven’s face start to color. “Ahaha, sorry, I’m not, uh. N-not hitting on you, it’s just...just a fact… It’s a more vibrant shade of red and it looks soft and curly and and and…” Groaning, he snaps his mouth shut and looks away, cursing his tendency to ramble when nervous.

“Hmm, a hair enthusiast, huh~?” Despite how red his face is, Seven’s still teasing Yoosung and he feels his stomach flip weirdly when he looks back up at him. Those eyes really do house such a mischievous sparkle in them, playful and almost daring. He forces himself to look away before he stares too long. “I’m glad my hair lives up to your standards! Give me five minutes and I’ll be ready to go!” An unfamiliar (maybe American?) salute and then Seven’s turning around, marching a few steps down the hall before stopping again. “Uh… bathroom?”

“Two doors down to your right,” Yoosung answers, muffling a giggle with his hand.

“The trunk is unlocked on my baby if you want to load your bags in. Be gentle! She’s my favorite~”

The door clicks shut then, and Yoosung finds himself suddenly sagging. He hadn’t realized he’d been so tense, but he supposed it makes sense. Meeting a stranger, going on a road trip… it’s all so surreal, but it seems to be going well enough so far.

Of course, it’s only fifteen minutes in but he can hope, right?

The duffle bag he’d packed this morning is sitting next to the door, filled with the bare minimum because there’s still a fair amount of his stuff at home. Looping his fingers through the handle, he hefts it up and makes his way toward the shiny red convertible, hand coming up to shield his eyes from the sun glinting off it. It’s… a really nice car. Way better than one Yoosung will be able to afford anytime soon. Maybe _after_ he graduates, should he choose to buy such a flashy one. This man is only a year older than him? It’s hard to believe, considering he owns this and a toy shop and, apparently, _multiple_ college degrees. What is he, some kind of genius?

Yoosung supposes that might not be too far off the bat. He does exude a type of intelligence, after all.

Lifting up the trunk reveals several different suitcases, all of them labeled with single letters. He notices a “M” immediately and wonders if that’s Mary’s suitcase. There’s also a D, I, S and V. Not that he needed to confirm it but Seven _definitely_ takes this business (or whatever it is) seriously.

He slides in his pitiful looking bag between the D and the V.

Nearly all apprehension has vanished by the time he steps back into his apartment. Heading into the kitchen to grab a drink, he pulls out a bottle of chocolate milk, taking a swig right as Seven comes back out. Eyes widening, he swallows, hand absently wiping any stray drops from his mouth.

This time his face is free of makeup, allowing Yoosung to see the scattering of freckles across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. Yellow and gray glasses frame his eyes, the red hair obscuring parts of both from vision. Around his neck rests a pair of red headphones as well as a silver necklace bearing a cross, hanging over the red shirt he’d changed into. Dark wash jeans and boots paired with a large black jacket with yellow circles complete what should be an absolutely obnoxious outfit that somehow looks good on him. It suits him, the enigma he is to Yoosung.

And god, Yoosung can’t stop staring.

Those golden eyes light up at the sight of Yoosung. “Is this better?” he asks, tilting his head to the side with a lazy smile. “More your taste?”

Yoosung nods mutely, fingers twitching around the milk. Laughing, Seven gives him a thumbs up. “Call me Luciel, then. Is your stuff outside? Are we ready to go?”

Another mute nod, Luciel’s laughter louder this time as he reaches out and grabs Yoosung’s free hand, tugging him along. “Then c’mon, _babe_ , let’s go meet your parents.”

As he’s pulled outside by a surprisingly energetic Luciel, Yoosung wonders if this is a trip he’ll survive.

Or will it kill him in a completely different way than going alone?


	3. The Day Before: Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so these chapters are going to be very unpredictable in length? So they may be shorter than I usually like to do and I apologize in advance.

The ride went smoothly, mostly with Luciel asking questions about Yoosung’s likes and dislikes, coming up with scenarios as to how they met, what they like about each other, etc. He filled Yoosung in on some of the basics of this particular character but said one of the perks to it was that he’s hyper and likes to talk, so if Yoosung forgets it’s totally in-character for Luciel to come to his rescue.

When they fell into a familiar sort of teasing banter, it was far too easy to forget he was just talking to someone made up, a persona adopted for the purpose of being his fake boyfriend.

Instead of relieving the loneliness, it actually amplifies it.

His parents had given Luciel a warm welcome, hugs and everything. They’d seemed genuinely pleased to meet him and unphased by the fact he is, indeed, a man. A promising start to the holiday.

Yoosung and Luciel sit in the kitchen prepping the ingredients needed for dried pollack and Jwippo, each focused on his own duties. Familiar with cooking these types of dishes, Yoosung steals a glance at Luciel out of the corner of his eye to find he’s concentrating on finding and ridding the fish of any bones, bottom lip sucked in between his teeth and brows dipped. Yoosung doesn’t particularly envy him, and wonders why his mom chose to purchase it bone-in this year. Usually it’s already boneless…

He startles slightly when Luciel’s eyes flicker up to meet his gaze, a smirk growing on the edge of his lips. “Well hey there, babe~! Can’t keep your eyes off of me?”

“You just looked super focused,” Yoosung grumbles, ignoring the heat beginning to flood his cheeks. He starts rubbing the sauce on the fish, pointedly avoiding eye contact.

“Well, I was entrusted with the sacred mission to debone this fish and with god as my witness, I will do my very best to make your mother proud!” The casual yet teasing way in which Luciel speaks to Yoosung is unlike anything he’s ever experienced before, simultaneously managing to rile him up yet make him feel giddy.

“Good, someone needs to.” Yoosung groans when his mother’s voice juts into the conversation, shoulders coming forward in an attempt to shield himself from the lecture that’s sure to follow. He knows this drill; grades, games, blah, blah blah.

“Oh~?” Luciel raises an eyebrow at Yoosung as the footsteps of his mother come closer.

“Shut up,” Yoosung mouths at him, leaning away from the small woman now between them, black hair flecked with grey twirled up in a bun and glasses perched on her nose. Kind but stern, his mom intimidates him at the best of times, but after introducing the unknown factor of a ‘boyfriend’ into the equation, he’s really not sure how things will go.

“How have your grades been recently, Yoosung? Picking up, I hope?”

Yoosung mumbles something indiscernible about classes being hard and him being tired, an excuse that he knows is hardly valid. He’d always received top marks in high school, but after his cousin’s disappearance he’d had a hard time motivating himself. It didn’t help that he was the only one in his entire family that acted like it mattered that she was no longer around; who is there to talk to about how he feels when no one else cares?

Tutting, his mom drops some herbs on the table next to him. “Well, if you’re tired maybe you should spend less time playing that game of yours and more time sleeping or studying. You’re never going to be a successful adult if you can’t get through college, and you worked so hard to get into SKY. Don’t let it go to waste because of a video game.” Unwelcome advice distributed, she walks off, mumbling about ‘this is why I never let you or JaeEun play games when you were in school’.

The sound of a knife chopping vegetables is loud in the silence that follows as Yoosung pours himself into his next task to attempt to drown out the words hanging in the air. He knows she’s right, that it’d be stupid to waste this opportunity that so many had worked for and still not managed to get, but… it’s hard to motivate himself when Rika was the reason he’d decided to take the path he’s on.

To be a vet, to work on saving animals’ lives… it all seems like a distant dream now, one that he’d had so long ago and it’s only hanging on at the vestiges of his memory. Is that really what he wants to do? If it was truly what his heart was set on, wouldn’t he still be able to work hard, even without her comforting presence?

“So you go to SKY?”

Yoosung starts at Luciel’s voice, his thoughts disappearing like the fleeting edge of a snowstorm. Scraping the carrots to the side, he sets the knife down and looks over at him with a weak smile. “Yeah. This is my second year.”

With a nod, Luciel fishes out another few bones before speaking again. “That’s really amazing, you know? Getting into SKY, I mean. Their acceptance rate is so small… What’s your major?”

“Veterinary medicine.”

With a lazy smile, Luciel reaches out and elbows him. “So I can bring my army of cats to you? Good to know.”

Yoosung huffs out a soft laugh, pushing away from the table. He’s finished with what his mom asked to do and suddenly feeling more than ready for bed, despite the fact that it’s only 8pm. He was up late late sight, helping his guild with a dungeon to try to pass the time but that’s not why he’s so exhausted right now. It’s like his mood has plummeted to the point where all he can think of is the intense need to sleep away everything.

“Um. A-are you done? I’m tired, but I shouldn’t… shouldn’t leave you alone down here.”

Looking at Yoosung in surprise, Luciel glances back at his fish, feeling around a little more. “I think I got most of the bones, so yeah, I can be done. What does your mom-“

“Here.” Yoosung reaches out and grabs the plate, taking it over to the counter next to the stove. “She’ll want to cook it next, so I’ll just tell her it’s ready and that’s it.”

As stated, once Yoosung informs his mom that both are done with their fish duties, she sweeps into the kitchen and starts frying them, shooing the two of them off to do whatever they want to do for the rest of the evening with warnings about messing around even if they have to stay in the same room.

As if that would happen. But she doesn’t know that. Doesn’t know Yoosung hasn’t even had his first kiss yet.

When he comes back from brushing his teeth it’s to see Luciel carefully laying down the nicest sleeping bag he’s even seen at the base of the bed. Faltering a moment, he glances from the mussed red hair to his bed and back again. He hadn’t actually considered how their sleeping situation would work. Obviously they wouldn’t sleep together, but technically Luciel is his guest. It’s only polite to treat him as one, right?

“You, uh. Y-you can have the bed. You don’t have to s-sleep on the floor.”

Turning around to look at him in surprise, Luciel smiles crookedly. “Just want to get me in your bed, babe?”

In a flash Yoosung’s face is flaming. “N-no! You’re my guest, I just, it’s only, I mean… ugh!” Once again his hands are a shield to hide his embarrassment. How does Luciel manage to fluster him so much constantly?

Laughter rings throughout the room and he flinches in surprise at the hands wrapping around his wrists, gently pulling his hands away to reveal golden eyes twinkling in amusement. “I’m kidding. But really, I appreciate the offer. I’m fine with the floor.”

“A-are you sure?”

Luciel nods, releasing him. “Positive. But thanks cutie~ Maybe I’ll cuddle you sometime~”

“Th-that’s not…!” Groaning, Yoosung bypasses him and slips under the cool covers of his bed, pulling them up to his chin. “You just like making me flustered!” he accuses with narrowed eyes, watching as Luciel sinks to the ground until just his head is peeking at him over the foot of the bed.

“Guilty.” A wink and then the red hair is gone, the only indication of his presence the scratching of the sleeping bag.


	4. Day 1: Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, short chapters ._.

The morning comes too early, as usual. With a groan, Yoosung rolls over to shut off his alarm, stifling a yawn. He’s hardly a fan of getting up when it’s at a more humane time but the first day of Chuseok always requires him getting up at the crack of dawn. One of the first to hit the shower and get dressed, he has a full morning ahead of him preparing the table and performing the ceremony to honor his ancestors.

Slipping out of bed, he places his feet on the cool wood of the floor and digging the heels of his palms into his eyes. _Wake up, sleepyhead._ Another yawn and then he stands, swaying a little, shuffling over to the door and grabbing the pile of clothing he’d sat out the night before from on top of the dresser. Pausing a second in the doorway, he glances back at the messy red hair of his guest on the floor. Despite his mouth being open and soft snores spilling from him, Yoosung can’t help thinking he looks adorable like this. Serene.

But he shouldn’t stare or let himself get attached to this person he’ll probably never see again when everything is over. It’s not worth the heartache he’ll feel. Shaking his head, he slips out into the hallway and quietly closes the latch before padding to the bathroom.

A shower is always a good way to start the morning, the warm water rolling down his back and releasing some of the tension held in his muscles. Rubbing absently at his neck, he breathes in the steam, letting it warm him up from the inside. He has a long day ahead of him, but hopefully it’ll go well with Luciel by his side.

-oOo-

The table is already in place when he makes his way out, clean, awake and ready to get it done. He’s been doing this for years and it comes fairly naturally now as he carefully sets the paper with the names of prior generations in the middle of the back of the table, a candle on either side. Next comes a bowl of soup accompanied by a bowl of rice, piled high, one pair for each name listed. Yoosung carefully sets them side-by-side, equal numbers on either side of the ancestral tablet. It takes him a few minutes of fussing and rearranging to find the right distance between it all; the table must look perfect.

“So this is something normal families do?”

The soft voice startles him and he whips around to see Luciel watching him curiously, eyes brimmed with exhaustion despite the night of sleep. He too has washed, curly hair as tamed as it can be still falling around his eyes. Unlike Yoosung he isn’t wearing a hanbok but is dressed in nice slacks and a smart button-up shirt, hands shoved in his pocket as he surveys the table.

Nodding, Yoosung retrieves some of the meat dishes and starts placing them in the next row, starting on the right side. He pauses to contemplate each, considering which is more expensive and should therefore be furthest over. “Yeah. It’s my job to prepare the table for the charye ceremony. You’re Korean, right?” Sparing an inquisitive glance toward Luciel, he starts placing any other boiled food or soup on the left side of the row. “Your family doesn’t do this?”

There’s a few tense moments of silence before Luciel responds, long enough for Yoosung to think he messed up and begin to form an apology in his mind. “...no. My family isn’t what you’d call _normal.”_ Another pregnant pause as he watches Yoosung walk past to grab the fried foods - including what they helped with last night - and start arranging them as well. “My brother and I moved out when we were in middle school to live with a friend. Haven’t spoken to our mom since. Never knew our dad. So this holiday stuff? It’s new to me.”

Yoosung considers this information, a soft frown on his face. “I’m sorry, then,” he finally answers, turning to face Luciel when finished with the row. “But at least you get to experience it now, even if it’s not… not really in a normal way. My family is really traditional, hehe. So you’ll get to see all of that sort of stuff.” A part of him wonders if this is just another act, a bit of the persona meant to make the character feel more real. Surely the man behind it all isn’t _actually_ revealing his own past, right? Not after having gone through so much trouble to pretend to be someone else for this.

A smile flickers across Luciel’s face, setting butterflies loose in Yoosung’s stomach. “Yeah. It’s… nice. Hey, um. Any chance you could kinda explain some of this to me?”

“Of course!” Beaming, Yoosung gestures Luciel over to the table to give him the quick rundown of why it’s arranged the way it is and then continues to set the fruits and desserts on. Even though he’d been warned Luciel is inquisitive by nature, Yoosung’s surprised by the amount of questions he asks. Some are very specific and he’s not sure of the answer, but Luciel doesn’t seem upset when Yoosung has to shrug and apologize for not know.

“So what happens to all this food after the ceremony?” he asks as Yoosung completes the final touches, about to call the family together. Already having assured Luciel that it’s not going to be terrible that he’s not aware of the ceremony as long as he’s respectful, Yoosung’s glad to see the stiffness leave his shoulders.

“We eat it, of course!” Yoosung says with a sunny grin, patting his stomach. “As much as we can! Sometimes I eat enough that all I need is a snack before bed.”

Eyes nearly bulging out of his head, Luciel looks from the table to Yoosung and then back to the table again. “What, seriously!? All that food?”

Yoosung nods. “All that food.”

Hands slipping out of his pockets, Luciel rubs his palms together, the corner of his lips twisting up. “Oh yeah, I’m so ready for this.”


	5. Day One: Afternoon

“So this is something your family does every year?” Voice a whisper, Luciel leans close to Yoosung as they watch the dancers perform, the lights dim while the colors swirl around them beautifully. The music crescendos, their footsteps speeding up in time with the music and performing a few synchronized jumps.

Yoosung waits until it dwindles down to a volume that allows him to whisper back before answering. “We go to a performance every year, but it’s different each time. Last year was a re-enactment but… I kinda fell asleep so I don’t remember it,” he admits sheepishly. To be fair, history isn’t a subject he finds interesting in the slightest.

Clicking his tongue, Luciel shakes his head in mock disapproval. His eyes are twinkling behind those glasses, catching the different lights as they move. As though Yoosung needed another reason to stare… “How disrespectful! And here I thought you were a model son.”

“Listen, I was tired.” Yoosung tries to keep from sounding whiny but fails, cringing when he sees Luciel’s eyebrows shoot up. “I… I stayed up late the night before playing a game.” A mistake he’ll never make again. His parents had been very disappointed when he slept through his alarm and then shambled around the rest of the day like a newly-risen zombie. There wasn’t any lectures, no harsh words, just stern looks and sad head shakes.

It was much worse than being told off.

“Oh~? What game could keep the cutie Yoosung up so late, hmm?”

Glancing down at his lap in embarrassment, Yoosung mumbles the answer under his breath. Usually he doesn’t care who knows his gaming habits but for some reason he _really_ wants to impress the man next to him. It’s not like they’re really together, he has no real need to but that doesn’t stop his mind from desiring it.

A soft nudge in his side. “What was that? Couldn’t quite hear ya since I’m not on the ground at your feet.”

“LOLOL,” he says, louder this time. “I play LOLOL. A lot, actually. And I’m pretty good at it, too.” Raising his head, he looks at Luciel defiantly, almost daring him to make fun of him.

Instead all he gets is a surprised look followed by a soft laugh. “LOLOL, huh? I actually play that too. Got any proof to back up your claim?”

Straightening up in his chair, Yoosung lights up with excitement. Luciel plays!? This is the first time he’s had the chance to talk with someone about it in person. “Yeah!! I’m number two on the Shooting Star server!” His voice raises in his enthusiasm and he smiles apologetically at his parents when they shush him. “Sorry!” he shout-whispers at them before turning back to face an amused Luciel. “What? What’s funny?”

Preening, Luciel runs a hand through his hair. “Well, that’s good and all, and I don’t mean to brag, but…” There’s a pregnant pause, obviously meant for drama and to build up Yoosung’s curiosity. And dammit, it’s working, Yoosung fidgeting and leaning closer as he waits impatiently. “...Well. I’m DfndrofJustice707.”

It feels like his eyes go so wide that they’ll fall out of his skull and he claps a hand over his mouth to stifle the gasp at Luciel’s confession. Is this true? Can it be real? Is the man in front of him who is currently pretending to be his boyfriend really number one on his server?

Luciel tosses him a wink then faces forward again, appearing to lose himself in the performance. But Yoosung can’t do the same; he’s stuck staring at that freckled face in disbelief. Is it seriously such a small world? He’d never expected to meet the one person who can beat him at the game in real life… let alone like this. And he’s hot. Nice. Incredibly smart and witty. A lot of fun to be around. Definitely the type he’d love to game with, now that he knows he plays. Wouldn’t that be just grand? The two of them conquering the LOLOL world together, maybe they could even get married in-game...

Wait, no, he can’t allow himself to think about that. He must stay unattached. Er, well. It might be a little late for that. But he can’t allow himself to fan the flame anymore.

Why does he fall so fast? He’s only know this guy a _day_ , he shouldn’t be this far in the rabbit hole already.

But still. He’s seriously sitting next to the number one player?

Oh. _He’s sitting next to the number one player,_ which means…

Yoosung reaches out and gives Luciel a shove, eyes narrowing when he looks over at him in surprise. “You’re an asshole!” he whispers furiously, smacking his arm. “You’ve messed with my guild how many times?” Coming back from a raid to find the hall filled with sheep, unable to get into it because there was a tower of pumpkins outside...

For a second, Luciel looks confused. Then realization dawns in those golden eyes and he smirks, scooting over and wrapping an arm around Yoosung’s shoulders. “Relax, we’re supposed to be in a relationship, right? This is all part of the act.” He tugs him in closer, closer. Then coaxes him to rest his head on his shoulder.

This is nice, actually. Yoosung had always pictured that he’d be the one doing the holding but wow, he really likes this. Luciel is warm, his arm firm but gentle, fingers softly rubbing at his sleeve. It’s a little too easy to pretend it’s real.

“That’s because it’s fun to tease those trying to overthrow me.” The whisper is like a bucket of ice being dumped on Yoosung’s head and he tries to pull away, getting frustrated from Luciel’s stifled chuckles.

“Let me go!” he hisses, reaching up to shove Luciel’s arm off of him. The arm only tightens, the other one looping around his front to lock him in in a weird sort of hug, Luciel suddenly swaying back and forth with him as he struggles to get away.

“Babe~ Don’t be like that! I’m just messing with you~!” he sing songs, patting Yoosung’s head when he finally stops, sulking in those warm, strong arms. “There’s a good boy. Just let me hold you like this, hmm~”

The praise make Yoosung feel… weird. Not bad, necessarily, but definitely strange. He squirms a little but doesn’t move away, doesn’t fight to escape when Luciel hesitantly drops one arm. Solid heat settles on top of his head and Yoosung nearly jumps at the feeling, surprised to find Luciel resting his cheek against him and humming softly. He sounds happy.

Why does that make Yoosung’s heart glow? He’s not the reason Luciel is happy. There’s no way. The persona is an act, disconnected from reality. Disconnected from him. But he can’t stop the way each soft little note makes warmth spread throughout him until he tingles from his head to his fingers to his toes and he slips an arm behind Luciel’s lower back, scooting even closer.

Just for now. Just for this moment, he will let himself pretend it’s real. Then he’ll let go, move on, and promise himself he won’t fall any further for the alluring man next to him.


	6. Day Two: Morning

This time he isn’t woken by his alarm, but rather a rude jolt on the mattress followed by blankets being cruelly ripped from his body. “Time to wake up, cutie~!” Luciel sings, chuckling when Yoosung groans and rolls into a fetal position, one arm thrust over his face to block out the sunlight stabbing through his eyelids. No. This is _not_ okay. It’s intrusive, it’s cold, and the fact that he has a small crush on the man currently assaulting his senses is _not_ making this any better.

“Go ‘way,” he grumbles, voice slurred from sleep, batting in the general direction of the bothersome human on his bed. “Alarm hasn’t rung. Can sleep more.” Abandoning the useless endeavor of fending off the annoyance, he instead starts feeling around for his blanket, making a soft noise of frustration when that fails, too.

The bed shifts and he’s only given half a moment of relief before the _woosh_ of curtains being thrust open causes him to roll over and bury his face in the pillow. “Rise and shine! The sun’s awake, so you should be too~!” Luciel’s voice is much too cheery for Yoosung’s sleep-hazed mind, far too song-like for how early it is. It reminds him of a bird, the way they chirp at unholy hours of the morning to wake him when he’d rather be deep in slumber.

It might not be as early as it feels, but that’s not the point.

“Hmm. A challenge. How should I wake you up?”

Yoosung flinches when the mattress dips again, body tensing in preparation for whatever is about to come. What’s Luciel going to do? He’s an unknown, a variable. Unpredictable. The scratch of fabric over fabric warns he’s scooting closer and then there’s a voice at the side of his ear.

“Maybe I should wake you up with kisses? Play the part of your boyfriend?”

“Wh-what!?” Yoosung’s voice is rough, still unused, breaking in the middle of the word. Hands settle on his sides and he stiffens further, heat rushing into his cheeks. Would Luciel really do that? Would he… kiss him?

What would Yoosung do if he did?

“I could, you know. Kiss your ear, your cheek…” The heat of his breath ghosts across Yoosung’s ear, sending a shiver down his spine. “Your lips?”

A strangled sound frees itself from Yoosung’s throat and his breathing picks up, unable to move. Fingers dance along the expanse of his back, goosebumps following under the white of his pj shirt.

“Would you like that?” The hands stroke down his spine, almost teasing in nature. A nose nudges his cheek. Yoosung feels like his face is on fire, that if Luciel keeps going he will combust into flames. “Or should I do…” A pause. Soft inhale of breath. “ _This?”_

Suddenly those fingers are jabbing into Yoosung’s sides, adeptly moving to somehow make him crumble over faster than he ever has before. “N-no!” Yoosung yelps, rolling on his side and shoving at Luciel, trying to get him away but one hand quickly captures both of his wrists and slams them down over his head. Nudging Yoosung over onto his back, Luciel swings a leg over his waist and settles there, hovering just slightly over him with a wicked smile as his hand plays Yoosung’s stomach like an instrument.

“No? Well, maybe you should’ve woken up when I tried,” he teases, his grin growing wider. “Besides, maybe I like the way you look like this~”

Yoosung wants to hide but can’t, giggles spilling out of him uncontrollably as he struggles against the surprisingly strong grip on his wrists. “Let me goooooo,” he whines through the laughter, writhing under him. “I’m up, I’m up!”

“I dunno…” Luciel gazes off to the side thoughtfully. “Can I believe you?”

“Yes, y-yes, please let me go!”

“Okay.” And then suddenly Yoosung’s released, Luciel sitting cross legged on the bed next to him, still grinning. He looks at Yoosung innocently when he pushes himself up onto his knees, shrugging at his glare. “What? You looked so cute, I just couldn’t help myself.”

Narrowing his eyes, Yoosung grabs his pillow and starts hitting him with it. “Don’t be so rude!” Each hit gets progressively harder but all Luciel does is hold up his hands and laugh, ducking his head but just taking the beating. Gradually Yoosung grunts in frustration and just throws it at him before scooting over to the edge of the bed to stand up. “Fine. I’m awake. Jerk.”

“Then get dressed so we can go eat breakfast~!” Before Yoosung has a chance to respond, red hair disappears out the door and he’s left alone, glaring a hole through the wood.

Yawning, he quickly changes into a pair of tan chinos and his blue hoodie before heading into the bathroom.

“Oomph!” His head connects with hard wood, and he stumbles back a few steps in surprise. Well, that’s what he gets for just staring at his feet. “Uhhhh….” A hand goes up to head and he blinks as the gears in his brain try to move despite the rust holding them in place.

“I’m about to take a shower. Sorry!”

Ah. So his sister is in there. Breakfast first, then. Running a hand through likely thoroughly messed up hair, Yoosung turns and meanders down the stairs, swaying slightly as he goes.

Luciel is sitting at the table in the kitchen already, chatting with his dad about computers as he picks at a plate of eggs. Shuffling past them, Yoosung opens the fridge and gazes in blearily, eyes landing on the mostly empty carton of chocolate milk. Grabbing it, he moves to the counter and reaches up to pull down the largest glass he can find. There’s just enough milk to fill it and he sets the carton in the sink. He’ll rinse it out later.

”You’re going to rinse that, right?”

The sweet voice of his mother sounds behind him and he sighs, setting down his cup and picking up the carton again. 

“Thank you. Good morning, honey! I see you managed to find someone who knows how to get up at a sensible time.”

Ignoring the jab, Yoosung turns on the water and swirls it in the container before dumping it out. When he turns he finds his mom holding out his own plate of eggs. Taking the plate, he grabs his cup and smiles tiredly at her. “Yeah. Thanks for breakfast, mom.” Dropping into the chair next to his ‘boyfriend’, he sets it down and takes a long drink of his milk.

“Today all of us hike over to our ancestors graves and clean them up. You’re welcome to come, off course, but we won’t hold it against you if you’d rather stay behind.” Yoosung takes a bite of eggs and looks at his dad, still too tired to really register the comment.

“Oh, that’s really nice of you, but I’ll come with! My family never celebrated Chuseok so I’d like to participate, if that’s okay.” Flicking his eyes over to Luciel, Yoosung catches the hint of sadness that passes through his eyes before he’s back to sporting his normal cheery demeanor. Again he can’t help but wonder if this is a part of the act or if this is a look into the real person behind the mask. Would the character be that developed, or is he slipping in bits and pieces of the truth?

If he asked, would Luciel answer?

“Of course you’re welcome, dear. We’ll happily show you how we celebrate Chuseok. I hope you’ve enjoyed your time with us so far?” Yoosung’s mom sweeps back over to him, placing a can of Ph.D Pepper in front of him with a kind smile on her face. A hand lands in his hair and Yoosung flinches, trying to shy away from the way his mom pets him while she talks.

Nodding, Luciel reaches over and takes Yoosung’s hand, looking at him fondly. It’s so realistic that it sends a shock through Yoosung and for a moment he almost thinks it’s the real thing before remembering this man is an actor and can fake emotions expertly. “I have. Yoo is lucky to have you guys, and I’m lucky to have him.”

A deep blush crosses over Yoosung’s face and he almost chokes when those fingers lace in his. The hand on his head pats him once more before withdrawing. “And he’s lucky to have you. You’re a very nice young man, Luciel. I hope he follows your example.”

“Thanks!” Luciel cracks open his soda and takes a swig, squeezing Yoosung’s hand. “Hurry up and eat, babe. You’re the last one before we all head out.”

Yoosung shoves a large bite of egg in his mouth, nodding. “Whoa, but not so fast that you choke,” Luciel adds, chuckling. “I prefer you alive~”

Despite every attempt to not think of him in a romantic light, Yoosung can’t help feeling a little jealous of whoever his future partner will be. Luciel just seems so sweet, so sincere. Kind and loving. Sure, he’s a bit of a jerk but not in a mean way. Swallowing, Yoosung quickly finishes his food and grabs his plate, despairing when he is forced to let go of his hand. It’s so warm. Comforting.

Luckily, Luciel stands when he goes to leave the dining room and reaches out for him again, smirking when Yoosung quickly twines their fingers back together. “Let’s go get you ready to go, babe.”


	7. Day 2: Afternoon/Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorrrrry it took so long, I’ve been unable to concentrate on writing T_T

“Look at all of this!”

Yoosung has to stifle a giggle as Luciel bounces from table to table, vendor to vendor while they walk through the festival. Those eyes are alight with excitement and wonder as he pays to sample every food and stocks up on small knick-knacks to take back home. It’s nothing new to Yoosung; his family travels to the nearby town yearly for it, but the fact that Luciel has obviously never done anything like this causes his heart to twist almost painfully. Again he wonders if it’s just part of the act or if it’s a peek into the mysterious man beside him, but a growing portion of him is starting to believe it’s the truth. There’s no way he can be faking this childlike awe.

Taking a pastry shoved at him, Yoosung smiles and bites into it, the mixed fruit sweet on his tongue. “Isn’t it good!?” Luciel’s eyes sparkle and he holds up a small box filled with them. “I have to take some of these home, Saeran will _love_ them.” And then he’s gone again, over conversing with a woman selling miniature glass flowers.

Saeran, huh? Chewing slowly, Yoosung wonders if that’s the brother mentioned in the ad. It had said twin, right? Which means there’s another man running around Seoul as hot as Luciel.

Troublesome.

But there’s no way that wasn’t a slip and as much as Yoosung wants to ask more, he knows he’ll probably be shut down. It was clearly stated several times that Luciel’s private life is just that: private. He won’t answer any questions about it, nor will he contact Yoosung once this is all over. Their relationship is professional and for show, nothing else.

Popping the last bite in his mouth, Yoosung sidles up to Luciel’s side in time to see him purchase a small, blue anemone as well as a sunflower and a rose. Those are tucked carefully into little boxes padded with tissue paper and then slipped into one of the bags he’s already carrying, but the look on his face catches Yoosung’s attention. It’s wistful. Something about these flowers in particular are causing him to show an emotion Yoosung’s certain he’d never have seen otherwise.

It’s gone as quick as it came and he’s turning to face Yoosung, a wide grin stretched across his freckled face. “Mind if we make a pit stop at the car to drop these goodies off?” He gently shakes the bags as though Yoosung needs clarification as to what he’s referring to.

“Yeah, let’s go. Are you gonna buy everything?” Curiosity spurs him to ask but thankfully Luciel doesn’t seem to mind, chuckling at the question. Yoosung relaxes a little, falling into step beside him as they weave their way back through the crowd.

“It’s all so _cool_ and unique! I can’t help myself. But some of this stuff isn’t for me. I picked up that rose for a friend of mine who acts. He’s a romantic at heart and I think he’ll like it for Christmas. That coffee mix I’ll give to a woman I know who owns a lovely little cafe and loves to try new blends.”

The pastries are for his brother… but then what about… “And the cat sweater you bought two of?” Both were white and had a hood with ears, a cat making the :3 face on the front. Luciel had seemed oddly giddy about buying them, going so far as offering the vendor a hug as thanks for making them.

“Just call me Meowciel,” he answers with a crooked smile and a playful wink. “I’m a cat at heart~” The bright red of the car comes into view, the waning sunlight glinting off of it beautifully. It stands out among the rest of the vehicles, painfully out of place in a gaggle of small cars and vans belonging to the average worker. Once more the question of what Luciel’s actual job is crosses Yoosung’s mind but it’s chased away as he continues talking. “The second is for another friend. He loves cats - especially his own, but never lets me see her. My one true love, Elly, kept from me~” Luciel puts a hand to his chest awkwardly, the plastic of the bags crinkling against him even as he makes an obviously exaggerated pained expression.

Yoosung’s brows knit together. “Your one true love…? The cat?” Did he hear wrong?

Luciel flips around and starts walking backwards, nodding, still playing at being mournful. “Yes. We’re meant to be, I just know it. She loves me, I love her with her white hair and big, beautiful blue eyes… Maybe one day I can convince JuJu to let me be with her again.”

Then he grins, pulls out his key fob and unlocks the car, turning around right as they arrive next to it. Yoosung’s unsure whether to be more impressed that he can make a romance with a cat sound plausible or that he somehow managed to know exactly how far they had left to travel to his car without looking.

Probably the latter. Yoosung might be many things, but a furry isn’t one of them.

The trunk pops up and Luciel unloads his armfuls of bags among the suitcases there, tucking them around and in between as needed, but never moving the luggage itself. Curious. Yoosung taps his fingers against his jeans as he watches, looking over toward the quickly setting sun. Purples, pinks and oranges cover each cloud in such a way that it looks like an exquisite painting one might find in a museum, tucked away with the likes of Van Gogh and Monet. But with dark comes the beauty of the multi-colored lanterns that will light throughout the streets as well as... “Do you like fireworks?”

The trunks slams as Luciel glances at him curiously. “...I do. Why do you ask?”

Yoosung digs his shoe into the dirt a moment, suddenly nervous. “Um. After dark, there’s fireworks. Sometimes we stay, sometimes we don’t. I didn’t know if you’d want to go with me…?”

There’s a small pause while the invitation hangs in the air, Yoosung’s heart beating against his rib cage. _Bathump_. Maybe it was weird to ask? _Bathump_. It’s not like they’re _actually_ dating. _Bathump_. Is it out of the realm of things he’s allowed to ask for?

Then a high-pitched squeal causes his head to snap up and Yoosung’s faced with Luciel, hands clasped together by his shoulder and one leg up, batting his eyelashes at him ridiculously. “Yoosung Kim, are you asking me out on a date?” Without even giving him a chance to respond, he squeals again and skips forward to grab Yoosung’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “I would _love_ to watch the fireworks with you!” A wink and then the act is dropped, Luciel simply hurrying back toward the booths, dragging Yoosung behind him.

“If they start when it’s dark, then I have to hurry and finish seeing what else there is here!”

Yoosung’s laughter rings out through the parking lot.

-oOo-

By the time they’ve ran the second load of bags back to the car, everyone’s started gathering for the fireworks. Luciel’s hand still in his own, Yoosung weaves through the throng of people scurrying for seats, trying to find his parents and sister. Earlier they’d spoken and said they’d be staying as well, but no one is answering their phone and he can’t seem to find them in the places they’ve usually chosen to sit.

He’s frowning at his phone as he types out a text with one hand, focused on trying to get his sister to answer when Luciel bumps into his shoulder with a soft snicker. “Cutie, can’t you hear that? Your name is being called. Loudly, too.”

“What?” Sure enough, once Yoosung pays attention, he does hear his name being called over the crowd. But that’s not his parents or sister, that’s…

“Yoosung!”

He stumbles back, the only thing keeping him upright the tightening of Luciel’s grip and slight jerk as he tries to balance out the weight thrown at Yoosung. Arms around his waist and head buried in his chest, Yoosung lets out a surprised laugh and reluctantly lets go to hug the excited girl in front of him. “Hey, Mina,” he says, squeezing her a moment before letting her go.

She bounds back to the group she’s with, dark brown hair swinging in a ponytail and he’s surprised to see many familiar faces. Seonghan, Sangjo, Jaeeun… Friends from when he was still in high school. They swarm around him, each pulling him into a hug and introducing him to those he doesn’t know - boyfriends, girlfriends, even one spouse. During all of this, he notices Luciel hanging around the edges of the group, seemingly content with being ignored as he surveys the rest of the crowd around them.

It’s all he can do to break through the excited chatter of old friends catching up to call out to Luciel, beckoning him to his side with a shy smile. He’s not the only gay one in the group - Jisu has a girlfriend - so he doesn’t feel out of place introducing the redhead with the lopsided smile as his boyfriend. Soon enough Luciel and Sangjo are engaged in flirtatious banter, each trying to make the other uncomfortable as everyone else watches, laughing. Suddenly it feels like he’s back at home but happier, freer. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed his friends, even in the absence of having any at SKY. Dulling his loneliness with LOLOL had apparently dulled that as well.

They’re invited to sit with the group and accept, Yoosung’s heart skipping when Luciel’s hand finds its way into his despite the lack of need for it. Every time he tries to catch a glimpse of his face, Luciel’s turned mostly away, chatting with a new person. It’s amazing how well everyone takes to him, treating him as if he’s also an old friend and while it makes Yoosung fill with warmth it also tugs at the part of him that knows this will all end in two days. Now that he has a glimpse into what having a boyfriend can be like he wishes even more that he had one.

Preferably Luciel, but that won’t happen.

It’s not long before they’re approaching a curling stairway that leads to the top of a bakery owned by Jaeeun’s parents, an old hangout familiar to Yoosung. One by one they climb and climb until they’re crawling onto the roof, scooting across worn spots until everyone is on. There’s some movement as couples rearrange themselves, some sitting side-by-side with arms around each others’ waists, others one in front leaning back into the other. Somehow Yoosung and Luciel had ended up in the middle of the group and he watches his friends settle in comfortably while he has no idea what to do.

“Scoot forward,” comes the quiet baritone by his ear and Yoosung’s glad for the darkness that covers the heat rising in his cheeks as he does as he’s told, scooting down the roof carefully. The soft drag of fabric against the shingles catches his ears as Luciel slides behind him, legs on either side before large hands grasp him and haul him back into a warm chest.

“Is this okay?” Yoosung nods at the whisper, jumping when those same hands land on his shoulders, thumbs pressing into the muscles of his shoulder firmly. “Relax, Yoosungie, it’s okay.” A chuckle and then those thumbs begin to circle, slowly working until Yoosung feels his tension begin to ease and little by little he leans back against Luciel. Eventually arms wrap around him and hold him where he is, a chin settling on top of his head.

There’s still a few minutes before the fireworks begin, so they start telling stories about each other and the different adventures they’ve shared on that very roof. Getaways, study groups held in the warm afternoon, shared kisses in the dark. Every single one of them has at least one unique experience that no one else does and their friends don’t hesitate to embarrass them about it.

“Hey Yoosung,” Mina calls, and the tone of her voice warns him that he’s about to get teased. She giggles and he groans, resigned to his fate. He’s pretty sure he knows what she’s going to talk about, considering who he’s there with. “Remember when we were all up here after the strawberry festival and MiSun tried to kiss you?”

“Oh my god, that was fucking hilarious!” chimes Seonghan, reaching over to gently shove Yoosung on the shoulder. “You were always really nice to her and she thought you had a crush on her.”

Hands covering his face, Yoosung huffs and shakes his head. “I was nice to everyone…”

“But apparently she thought she was special,” continues Mina, amused. “And then she kept scooting closer and closer to you and you were basically already pressed up against Seonghan with no place to go when she tried to kiss you...”

Yoosung hears Luciel snort behind him and he sinks just a little lower.

“And instead of just telling her ‘no’, you asked her if she’d read Lady of the Bracelets and when she said no, you started listing off all of the characters and reasons you liked them until she finally gave up.”

The group bursts into laughter, some with memory and some with the amusement of hearing it for the first time. Luciel, for his part, laughs softly and tugs Yoosung even closer, whispering, “cute,” in his ear. A thrill shoots through him and he lowers his hands, tilting his head back to see Luciel smiling down at him, stars reflected in his glasses. Biting his lip, he gives him a shy smile before glancing back at the sky when the first firework goes off.

It’s a beautiful show, different colors and shapes dancing through the sky and leaving soft trails of smoke behind them. Yoosung’s eyes flick from one to the next, watching each shimmer of light until it dies out. He’s well-aware of what comes at the end of the fireworks, of the unofficial tradition he’s witnessed many years in a row. It’s a guarantee all of his friends will partake and, had he been thinking, he wouldn’t have accepted their offer to join them solely because of it. All it’s going to do is put him and Luciel on the spot when they notice.

As the last golden glimmer fades out, the crowd cheers for a few moments before he sees his friends out of the corner of his eye turn to each other, each embracing their partner. Luciel’s arms tighten slightly around him and he knows he’s noticed as well, but Yoosung makes no move to look at him or make it seem that he expects it from him in any way. With any luck, they’ll all be too busy to notice.

“Hey you two, why aren’t you joining in?”

“Come on, Yoosung, it’s the first time you’ve brought someone home!”

“Maybe they don’t like to kiss in public?”

Each of his friends call out different things and he slumps, squeezing his eyes shut as he tries to come up with an excuse. “U-uh, it’s just, well, we, we don’t, I shouldn’t-mmph!“

Cut off suddenly by a hand grasping his chin and twisting his face around, Yoosung’s eyes widen in surprise when a mouth slots over his. Luciel’s lips are as bitten as his own, rough yet not terribly so. Clapping surrounds them as Luciel pulls back, looking at Yoosung with some expression he can't place before leaning forward to press their lips together again.

It’s impossible to ignore the way his own fireworks ignite inside and he turns his body a little more, eyes fluttering closed as he places a hand on Luciel’s face. He tries to mimic the gentle way Luciel’s lips move against his, tries not to gasp too loudly when a tongue carefully pries its way into his mouth. Luciel’s arms move to wrap around him and pull him even closer, and as each second ticks by Yoosung finds himself more engulfed in the kiss. The sounds of the world around him fade as all of his focus turns to the man he’s kissing, the man who said they would only pretend but wouldn’t actually do anything boyfriends usually do.

Yet here they are, kissing, and there’s nothing in the world except them.


	8. Day 3, morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :’)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas I guess! Sorry for the long delay, been having serious issues getting the will to write :(((
> 
> ALSO bumped up the rating, plz be aware of stuff in this chapter

When Yoosung wakes up, he feels cold.

It takes him a few seconds to place the reason why. He’s in his bed, wearing pajamas, covered in his warm blankets. The furnace is on, the soft hum indicating the heat is working, so that’s not the issue.

Then it hits him.

When he’d fallen asleep, there’d been a body against his. Clothed but there nonetheless, strong arms to hold him to that warm chest while kisses were rained down across his face, neck, in his hair. Happiness had taken over him and as far as he could tell, _him_ as well. He’d fallen asleep with his ear pressed against skin, the steady thump of a heart more effective than a lullaby.

But now, he’s alone. When he touches the other side of the bed, it’s cold as well. No one has laid there for at least an hour.

A stinging sensation begins to build in his eyes and shuts them, forcing himself to take a few deep breaths. It’s okay, he’s probably just jumping to conclusions. Everything had seemed so right, so _perfect_ last night. There hadn’t been an ounce of awkwardness between them, only firm hugs and snuggles and kisses.

After the kiss on the rooftop Luciel had refused to let go of his hand and had pulled him into every alley, every dark corner they came across on the way back to his car to kiss him, to hold him close and run his lips over any place he could reach. Very little words had been spoken as they chose to let their bodies do the talking, soft sighs and moans as Yoosung’s back had connected with walls, Luciel flush against him and mouthing down his neck. A type of joy that made him feel so light, like he had grown wings and could soar among the skies had been present in his heart and he’d thought that maybe, for once, he’d actually found someone who liked him back.

It takes all of his strength to push himself up and crawl to the end of the bed, limbs weighing him down like bags of cement. There’s no sleeping bag, no suitcase; no sign that anyone had been here other than him.

It hurts more than it should for someone he’s only known for a few days.

He falls back to sit on his heels, a hand coming up wipe at his slick cheeks, the tears falling of their own volition now. He doesn’t want this. Doesn’t want this pain, the amplified loneliness, the heartache of feeling like he glimpsed something that could’ve been but will never be. Normally it’s so easy to lay blame on himself and say he messed up but he’s not even sure if he did this time. It wasn’t him who initiated that kiss - he’d only responded. Had _that_ been the mistake? Should he have pulled away and reminded Luciel of their deal? Denied him every time he pulled him into the alleys?

Kicked him out of his bed?

The sobs start, each one wracking through his body violently. No matter what he tries he can’t seem to get himself under control, the pain pulling him under like an undertow he can’t escape. It’s still dark outside, still early enough that most of the family should be asleep. There’s only one way to hide these sobs, and it doesn’t take him long to reach the bathroom, turning the handle so the water begins to spray from the shower head. Clothes flutter to the floor and he clambers over the tub’s raised edge into the shower.

Hot droplets of water roll down his back as he presses the palm of one hand against the shower wall, the other covering his face. The steady sound cancels out the sobs and whimpers, allowing Yoosung some privacy as he mourns something he’d only just received. _It’s not fair, why does he get to make me feel like this?_

No, he can’t lay the blame solely on Luciel. This is his own fault, too. For falling for someone who’d flat-out told him that there was no chance for anything between them because it was just a job. For ignoring that advice and doing it anyway. All of those ‘just for now’s and ‘it won’t hurt if…’ coming back to bite him in the ass in the most painful, venomous way possible.

If only it didn’t have to be this way.

Maybe… in another world, Luciel could be in the shower with him right now. Slipping into the bathroom unnoticed and shucking off his own clothing, glasses sat silently on the counter before pushing open the curtain to slip behind Yoosung.

“Hey babe,” he’d whisper, morning breath hot against Yoosung’s ear as he rests his chin on his shoulder. Long arms would wrap around his waist and hold him tightly against the warm chest behind him, maybe with a finger drawing light circles against his stomach, causing his abs to contract and sending shivers through him.

The hand drops from his face to trace the imaginary path of Luciel’s finger, eyes squeezed shut as he imagines it, pretends his finger isn’t his own. It’s a little longer, a little thicker yet somehow more dexterous. A soft line from one side to the other underneath his navel, then circles gliding across the other way, slowly inching down, down, down until there’s just the slightest brush of coarse hair.

“This okay?” The voice he imagines could almost be real and his head jerks in a nod, goosebumps cropping up along his neck at the exhale of breath that isn’t really there. Then the finger dips lower, traces the side of one thigh and then the other, just to tease (because Luciel seems like the type to tease, and Yoosung’s very well aware that he would like _being_ teased so it works out well). Yoosung’s breath catches and his other hand fists as he leans against it heavily, hips canting forward at the light touch of skin against his scrotum.

“Please,” he whispers, begging. “Please, just touch me, please, Luciel…”

A low chuckle and the finger finally touches him, mostly hard by now and he whines at the soft tutting behind him. “So desperate already, begging for my touch but not even ready for me? What a bad boy you are,” and then the ghost of a slap on his ass. Panting heavily, Yoosung whimpers and begs more, rolling his hips to try to get a firmer touch, more friction against his sensitive dick. But it stays maddeningly light, drawing up his length and circling the head, tracing the slit. Water continues to drip along his skin, making the touch slide smoothly even as each new movement feels like it’s sweet torture.

It’s when he feels like he can’t take any more that the finger rejoins the rest of its brethren, his full hand finally curling around him and stroking him leisurely, imagining soft kisses smacking along the side of his neck. Words cease except for Yoosung’s occasional begging between whimpers and moans and Luciel’s attempts to hush him, going so far as to place his other hand over Yoosung’s mouth to stifle the sounds. “I want to hear every sound you can make one day, but not here,” he murmurs hotly, hand speeding up as he begins to grind himself against Yoosung’s ass.

Yoosung’s torn between thrusting forward into his palm and pushing his ass back against him, the idea of Luciel’s own erection - his dick hard for _him_ \- enough to push him over the edge and he cums with a muffled moan of Luciel’s name. The high is amazing and he keeps pumping, keeps pretending it’s not his own hand, that he can hear soft praises and feel kisses along his shoulder as he rides his orgasm to the end until his body shudders one final time. He brings his other hand up and slumps against the wall, exhausted,  the water washing away all evidence of his sins as the tears resume, harder this time.

What did he think that would accomplish? Now not only does he feel heartbroken, he feels dirty, like he tarnished a memory of what could never be. No wonder Luciel left; even if he had held some semblance of feelings for Yoosung, who would want to stay with a wretch like him?

He stays in the shower until there’s no more tears to cry, turning off the water and grabbing the towel. Next comes the part he’d really rather skip.

He has to tell his parents why Luciel is gone.


	9. Day 3: Afternoon

The nice thing about his family is that they’re not as forcibly inclusive on the third day. Yoosung manages to sneak down for breakfast and take some muffins upstairs, hiding in his room and refusing to come out. No one bothers him - and he wonders what, exactly, they’re thinking is happening - and he passes the time by distracting himself with memes or playing Flame Emblem. Still, the troubling thoughts keep slipping in, squeezing through small gaps of attention and shimmying past any attempt to stop them.

It’s going to be a long couple of days. Weeks. Months. However long it takes him to get past this.

The sound of a knock on his door shortly before noon makes him jump and there’s a snicker on the other side. “Hey, mom wanted me to come tell you it’s about time for lunch. Wash up and get down here - you two have been lazy enough. Come socialize like humans.”

It’s not until the footsteps disappear that the tension begins to bleed out of his muscles, along with the tears coating his cheeks once more. He’s not sure how he’s even able to cry at this point, having spent most of the morning doing so. Shouldn’t the body run out of water for it at some point? Never mind how much water is truly a part of him - that doesn’t matter right now. He’s so sick of crying.

What will they say? He can lie, say something came up and Luciel had to go back to Seoul. That he didn’t have time to say goodbye. Perhaps he could sell that they broke up, maybe had some sort of argument at the fireworks last night. But if any of his family saw them, they’d know that wasn’t true. Not with how they’d been all over each other.

Or he could tell them the truth.

Reveal how truly pathetic he is. Unable to find a boyfriend on his own so he brings a stranger along and pretends to be dating him just to seem a little more capable of living on his own, of knowing his own wants and desires. To prove he’s not a little boy but rather a man.

There’s really no contest in his mind of what he’s going to do. They’re his family, they’ve been there for him through thick and thin, never judging, never casting him away. A little misguided at times, yes, but what family isn’t? Sure, his parents will be disappointed that he felt the need to trick them and his sister might not let it go very easily (he’s sure he’ll be teased for years to come) but hopefully they’ll understand. And if not understand, then respect that he’d felt cornered.

Dragging himself back out of the bed, he runs his hands through his hair to try to flatten it down, knowing full well it’s mostly limp anyway since he didn’t bother to style it. What’s the point? Not like he has anyone to impress. He’d put his pajamas back on after the shower and something will be said about that but damnit, he’s an adult. If he wants it wear his pj’s all day then he will. Especially when he’s sulking.

It still feels hard to move his limbs, stiff and heavy as he makes his way down the stairs and toward the kitchen. With every step guilt weighs him down further, feet dragging against the ground as though it’s magnetized to his soles. He lied to his family. He broke a promise to Luciel. Can he do anything right or will he just constantly mess up the good things in his life?

“Yoosung!”

It takes some effort to drag his eyes up to look at his mother and offer her a shaky smile despite the fact that she’s already on her way to him with a concerned look on her face. The same eyes he has search over him as she stops in front of him, reaching a hand up to rest on his cheek. “You look terrible. Come, sit down and eat.”

He’s directed over to the table and forced into a seat, a plate of leftovers already warmed up and waiting for him. It smells good but seeing one sitting next to him, complete with a can of PhD pepper makes his stomach turn to the point he wonders if he might throw up. When his mother places a glass of water in front of him he takes it immediately, sipping on it in hopes that it will calm down the anxiety curling in his belly.

As though water has the power to somehow fix everything.

The longer the food sits in front of him, the more revolting it begins to smell. He pushes it away slightly, just enough so that it’s not right beneath his nose. The drag of the plate across the wood attracts his father’s attention and he looks at him over his glasses, frowning. “You don’t look so well. Where’s Luciel?”

Yoosung shakes his head and sits back, clenching his fists in his lap as he tries to hold back the tears threatening to spill. He knew this would happen, that he’d be close to breaking the moment someone mentioned _him_ but he’d hoped… that maybe he’d surprise himself. The soft tickle of hair on his nose as it falls forward to cover his eyes almost makes it worse, a reminder of the way Luciel had brushed it away last night.

A hush falls over the kitchen, the only sound the clink of a glass being sat back down on the table and he just _knows_ they’re all looking at him. God, he’s going to fall apart in front of everyone just like when he was little and he has no one to blame but himself. There’s the scrape of a chair before soft murmuring and then retreating footsteps. Well, his sister probably left, not wanting to make things worse. For all their sibling rivalries, they’d actually gotten along well as children and even better now. She understands him more than his parents.

“Yoosung, did something happen?”

The soft voice of his mother is what pushes him over the edge as the tears come spilling out, shoulders shaking and body trembling as he sobs. It’s only seconds before familiar arms close around him and he’s pulled against her, fingers soothingly working through his hair like she did when he was little. “Shh, shh, it’s okay,” she whispers, humming quietly. “Take your time. We’re here for you.”

He doesn’t even wait for his sobs to subside before it all comes spilling out of him. “H-h-he left.” Any semblance of pride disappears and he wraps his arms around his mom, crying into her shoulder. He can hear the sound of a chair being moved and then the shifting of her that says perhaps she sat down - good, at least he won’t have to worry about her getting back pain from standing awkwardly so long. “I m-messed up and he left.”

“Just call him and talk it out. I’m sure it can be worked through. You two fit so well together.”

Oh, how that stings. She means it as motherly advice but she has no idea how impossible that is and it _stings_. He jerks his head a bit, feeling the pang in his heart grow larger. “N-no. It won’t… that won’t work.”

“Why not?”

“Because we’re not exactly a _traditional_ couple.”

A choked sound of surprise bursts from Yoosung and he detangles himself from his mother, looking over her shoulder in surprise. There, in the doorway to the kitchen wearing the most beautifully eclectic outfit he’s ever seen, stands Luciel. His hair is wilder than normal and his own pain and regret are laid bare in his eyes, there for all to see. For the first time since he’s met him Yoosung feels like he’s not looking at an act but at a _person_. That trademark lopsided smile is there but it’s forced, hands shoved in his pockets, eyes flicking to Yoosung as though asking for permission to come in.

“Not a traditional couple? What does that mean?” His mother’s voice is confused, turning so that she can look from one man to the other, likely trying to gather more understanding from their faces.

“Exactly what he said, mom,” Yoosung whispers, standing and stepping away from the table. Does he dare to hope? Is it possible that he came back for _him_ , or did he simply forget something? Now’s the time to come clean to his parents, he supposes, a nervous titter breaking free from him. “How do I explain…”

“That’s easy.” Luciel shrugs in his normal casual manner, reaching up to push his glasses up his nose. “I posted an ad on Gregslist saying I was basically a boyfriend-for-rent and you rented me.”

Mouth open, Yoosung just stares for a moment, boggled at how easily he summed that up before laughing hollowly. “Yeah.”

“Is this some sort of joke?” Sounding less than amused, Yoosung’s father casts a wary glance between them. “It’s not exactly funny. I know you’re a bit of a prankster, Luciel, but-“

“Saeyoung,” Luciel interrupts. “My name is actually Saeyoung Choi. Luciel is the name I was using for business. Nice to meet you, again.”

Yoosung’s laughter becomes a little louder, a little wilder. “Saeyoung! Is that really your name or did you make it up and come back just to mess with me some more?”

Golden eyes flick over to him and Saeyoung takes a few steps toward him, lifting both hands in the air in surrender. “Please, let me explain,” he begs in a broken voice, moving slowly. “I didn’t… I was scared.”

“You were scared?” Yoosung basically shouts, uncaring even when Saeyoung cringes and his mother shushes him. “What about me? My first ever kiss was with someone I don’t know, someone who had told me in the beginning we’d only pretend to be a couple. Then you kissed me, and kept kissing me. And because I’m stupid I thought maybe… maybe it meant something because no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t stop myself falling for you! When I knew I’d have to say goodbye once this was all over!” He can feel the flush that usually accompanies his anger spreading over his cheeks, still wet with tears. He doesn’t care. “And then I dared to hope…! And you! You left without a word!”

“I know,” Saeyoung says sadly, close enough to reach out and place a hand in Yoosung’s shoulder. “I know. That was really shitty of me. But I’ve never been in this position before.”

“What, kissing one of your clients?” Yoosung asks snidely, nose wrinkled in disgust. Anger is rolling through him and making him want to shake that hand off, but there’s still a small pearl of hope in him, not quite snuffed out yet. Enough to allow the touch despite the fact that he’s trembling in frustration.

Saeyoung gives him a sad smile and shakes his head. “No, Yoosung. _Falling for_ one of my clients.”

The world stops turning, everything frozen but them. Yoosung’s eyes widen as he processes all of the implications behind those words, what it all could mean. What the look on Saeyoung’s face is, why it looks like he’s holding his breath.

“Wha…?”

“I haven’t dated in a long time because of personal reasons and it just became easier to stay like that. But you…” A soft smile and a finger gently poking Yoosung’s nose cause him to blink, “you changed it. I knew you were gonna be trouble the moment we met but I figured I could handle it. Even when the real me started slipping through… Then we kissed and I found out you felt the same and… my first response was to run.” Shoulders drooping, Saeyoung sighs forlornly, dropping his hand to his side. “I was halfway home before I could get the nerve to come back and face you. Because… I’d like to date you. For real. If you’ll have me?”

Yoosung stares. Stares at eyes full of hope and fear, at arms quivering in a black and yellow jacket. At a lip that’s being bitten and eyebrows dipped upwards as he waits for an answer.

Then, without a second thought, he closes the distance between them and hugs Saeyoung as tight as he can.

“Yes! Of course. That would make me so happy,” he murmurs, warmth rushing through him as he’s enclosed in a return hug. Arms he’s come to crave slip around him to hold him firmly, the soft press of lips to his forehead making him shiver.

“Thank you,” Saeyoung whispers softly in Yoosung’s ear. “Thank you so much.”

There’s a few moments of silence, breathing the only sound in the room before Yoosung’s mother speaks up. “So you two were fake boyfriends but now you’re real boyfriends?”

Laughter bursts out of both of them as they let each other go, lacing their hands together and prepared to face whatever comes next for them - like explaining this to the Kims.

**Author's Note:**

> Did you like it? Did you love it? Did you... *gasp* hate it? Let me know! I'm always open for reviews, comments and helpful criticism.  
> I'm here to grow. :)
> 
> You can also find me on Tumblr as [cutiesaeran](http://cutiesaeran.tumblr.com/) or twitter [@MysticHawke](https://twitter.com/MysticHawke/)!


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